From DE 199 08 915 B4 a vibration eliminator for a steering wheel with an airbag is known, in which the inertial mass of the vibration eliminator is formed by the gas generator of the airbag. The gas generator is connected via a spring element to the airbag housing; said spring element engages the outer wall of the gas generator and consists of reinforced, gas-impermeable, elastomeric material. The spring element has the shape of a blunt cone which essentially features a constant wall thickness.
In a motor vehicle, the steering column and the steering wheel with the driver airbag form a vibrating system. In order to eliminate, or at least to reduce, harmful or unpleasant vibrations in a vibrating system, the coordination and arrangement of a mass with a particular weight is helpful. By a change in the inertial mass, the vibration behavior can be changed so that the elimination of vibrations will ideally result.
In the prior art, the inertial mass is provided by the gas generator; the gas generator is connected via a connecting plate to the spring element. The object of the present invention is to create an apparatus for the damping of vibration by means of which an adaptation to different frequencies of a steering column or to a different, vibration system is possible in order to suppress undesirable vibrations.
According to the invention, this object is attained by an apparatus with the features described herein. Advantageous embodiments and refinements of the invention are presented, in the description and in the figures.